Description
Plauisan enzyme that in humans is encoded by the Plau gene. This gene encodes aserine protease involved in degradation of the extracellular matrix andpossibly tumor cell migration and proliferation. A specific polymorphism inthis gene may be associated with late-onset Alzheimer disease and also withdecreased affinity for fibrin-binding. The protein encoded by this geneconverts plasminogen to plasmin by specific cleavage of an Arg-Val bond inplasminogen. This gene"s proprotein is cleaved at a Lys-Ile bond by plasminto form a two-chain derivative in which a single disulfide bond connects theamino-terminal A-chain to the catalytically active, carboxy-terminal B-chain